William Bedell's Translation of the Old Testament into Irish

Completed 1648, and here re-published in 1827

William
Bedell (1571-1642), an Englishman, was educated at Cambridge. The Provostship of Trinity College, Dublin, became vacant in 1627 and
the Fellows, with the advice of Archbishop Ussher, invited William to accept the
post. He was a man revered not only by the English but by the native Irish as
well. In 1629, he was consecrated Bishop of Kilmore, where he witnessed great
hardship among the peasantry. He immediately won the hearts of the people for
his kindness and generosity to them, and even went to the extent of learning
their native language. Goldwin Smith. writing of the Civil War of 1641, wrote "In
Ireland, against the dark
clouds of the storm, one rainbow appeared. Bishop Bedel had won the love of his
neighbours. He and his family were not only spared by the rebels, but treated
with loving-kindness". Lecky
wrote of him "In that rebellion, one English-man was exempt from the
hostility that attached to his race ... and 'when he died he was borne to
the grave with all the honours the rebel army could afford". O'Reilly
of Breifne was heard to utter "Requiescat in Pace Ultimus Anglorum".